The first day I stepped into Abakaliki, I beheld what I termed then, the most awry sight…women mixing and carrying concrete!

I know its quite strange even to some of you out there reading this. But one beautiful thing is that I have come to love and respect these women.

I am from Enugu State. In my place women farm, women cultivate on their farms..but not all kinds of crops. Women are free to cultivate cassava, vegetables, corn/maize, okro and other ‘feminine crops’ while the men have the exclusive reserve of cultivating yams, coco yams and the rest. But this does not apply to a woman who has no one to do these for her. She automatically assumes the role of both the man and the woman.

I have been to the Northern part of the country on few occasions and I have come to understand that up there, the job is for the men. My friend would say…Hausas don’t joke with their wives! Lol! But that’s the truth.

Back to Abakaliki…

It’s somewhat surprising that there is a shift in roles when you get to this town. I am not try to say that the men are lazy, but I keep wondering what the men would be doing, where they would be when their wives loiter in front of the Abakaliki Stadium and at the Spera-in-Deo Junction looking for people to work for.



These women are the most hardworking on earth. As early as 6am, you will see them all seated at the above locations armed with either cutlasses, hoes, head pans, shovels, diggers, axes, etc all waiting anxiously to work some money to feed her family. It’s even more pathetic when you see them rush towards any car that stops close to them thinking it’s a prospective hirer. It even pains me more when at the end of the day, most of them don’t get any job to do and they have to go back to their starving families…empty handed. Some of them, who come from as far as Izzi LGA probably with the only money on them, would either be forced to do any job so as not to go back empty handed or better still, they trek home. I feel like crying….

When I remember how I felt about these women, I feel guilty. I think I have offended these women and they deserve my apology. I used to see them as useless women. I used to see them as wasted women.

But I must tell you today that the Abakaliki woman is a hustler. The Abakaliki woman is a man. She does not depend on anybody. She would not let her family starve. She is willing to do whatever it takes to feed and care for her family. She is willing to trek from the deepest part of the state to the capital to do menial jobs. She is willing to ride bicycles from whatever distance to get to that job that feeds her family. She is willing to jump unto tipper, sit in the trunk of vehicles provided she will work and be paid.

I may not know how the Government may help these women. They need help. They need to lead a normal life. In as much as they work to earn a living and support their families, it’s imperative we consider how these hard jobs of lifting bags of cement and carrying concrete affect them. How does it affect their child bearing? How does it affect their aging? These considerations should not be left out.

Finally, I salute the Abakaliki woman. You are great. You are wonderfully made. You are full of strength and will-power. God is your strength!

I love you.
WATCH THE SHORT CLIP>>>
http://www.michaeldoosblog.info/2016/07/abakaliki-women-and-manual-labour-how.html

cc: lalasticlala

u are mincing word . their men are lazy while the women works so hard to cater for the family
in front of my house u will see women breaking rocks into small pieces to be sold to building contractors. the man will be somewhere drinking and wooing another mans wifr

I skillfully and deliberately omitted that. Wanted to hear them from you

"It’s somewhat surprising that there is a shift in roles when you get to this town. I am not try to say that the men are lazy, but I keep wondering what the men would be doing, where they would be when their wives loiter in front of the Abakaliki Stadium and at the Spera-in-Deo Junction looking for people to work for"

Op what you observed is so true. Served in abakaliki and couldn't help but notice. It is well...

It's not a new trend.

These women can't be completely absolved of taking some of the blame for the situation they find themselves in.

IF they know their townsmen are notoriously lazy, then why do they keep on letting history repeat itself over and over again by marrying these men?
What do they teach their daughters?

Don't get me wrong, I'm an advocate for hardworking women in relationships but not at the expense on one party taking undue advantage of the other.

You see women work like this when their husbands, sons and fathers are lazy. Construction work isn't for women and only a 'disabled' man would allow the women in his life indulge in this. At the very least, the husband and wife should do it together if they're so desperate for the money.

That said, I love Abakaliki. Shalla to my Aipeops.

Not only in Abakaliki, many parts of Ebonyi state.
In the villages you will see women trekking miles sometimes across three villages to get to the farm early in the morning and these same women trek back in the evening with heavy basins of cassava on their head.
Ebonyi men are very lazy.

TruthTella:
Not only in Abakaliki, many parts of Ebonyi state.
In the villages you will see women trekking miles sometimes across three villages to get to the farm early in the morning and these same women trek back in the evening with heavy basins of cassava on their head.
Ebonyi men are very lazy.

There is need for gender re-positioning in Ebonyi State. I was there two weeks ago and i felt sad for the women. I have never seen women making heaps in my life but i saw it in Abakaliki. There is need to call the men in Ebonyi state to order. This is unacceptable anywhere in the world.
Kudos to Ebonyi women!

EfemenaXY:
It's not a new trend.

These women can't be completely absolved of taking some of the blame for the situation they find themselves in.

IF they know their townsmen are notoriously lazy, then why do they keep on letting history repeat itself over and over again by marrying these men?
What do they teach their daughters?

Don't get me wrong, I'm an advocate for hardworking women in relationships but not at the expense on one party taking undue advantage of the other.

I don't think the men are lazy, it may be something that has been in existence for long and they see it as their way of life. It is rare to see a lazy Igbo man or woman.

I have heard people call them ugly and too thin...but I see then as women with beautiful heart cause I know most of them ate doing it for the future of their children ....
It only pains me that most of them scumble to the lures of some good for nothing men who gets them pregnant and abandons them ....I have been to the hospital and av seen a lot of them esp young girls that are pregnant and most of them are struggling with HIV...
I think this is what has to be tackled first..this is what makes them go out because they want to take care of their children...no matter how poor or tattered a child looks you still see them wearing school uniform all thanks to their hardworking mother....that is truly love..
Some of them too are given to marriage at a tender age...it really has not stopped in some parts here in ebonyi...they end up getting pregnant and most of the guys they are given to can barely manage themselves..I wish the government should create and give this women good jobs...most of them are still young but look old cox of hardship and hardworking.


I give it to them...they are the black women with a heart of Gold and souls so pure

They also relate with each other very well ...

dejifalade

Agbaletu:


I don't think the men are lazy, it may be something that has been in existence for long and they see it as their way of life. It is rare to see a lazy Igbo man or woman.

pls bro,

like that person you quoted in bold letters, how can i perform that with cellphone?

thanks

carmag:


pls bro,

like that person you quoted in bold letters, how can i perform that with cellphone?

thanks

I have never done that with cellphone, i am sure somone will help.

The women are the cause of their problems, they keep on raising lazy male children that will take over from their fathers.

Merry go round.

TheArchangel:
The women are the cause of their problems, they keep on raising lazy male children that will take over from their fathers.

Merry go round.

I very much agree.

However, do they know any better?

Timbuktou:
You see women work like this when their husbands, sons and fathers are lazy. Construction work isn't for women and only a 'disabled' man would allow the women in his life indulge in this. At the very least, the husband and wife should do it together if they're so desperate for the money.

That said, I love Abakaliki. Shalla to my Aipeops.

Well.said. I think you are in my head. Lol

Anyway, i solicit for your support of my candidate Falconey for mr nairaland
I am so sorry for intruding.

TheArchangel:
The women are the cause of their problems, they keep on raising lazy male children that will take over from their fathers.

Merry go round.

bukatyne:

I very much agree.
However, do they know any better?

Another very good point and of.course i agree with you both. Mothers in this part of the world are too lenient with the boys. If only they can train them properly like they do the girls...or do they leave that responsibility to their hubbies?

Meanwhile please show support for Falconey in the ongoing mr nairaland contest. Your votes would make a difference. Thank you

During my NYSC days in the year 2010 at a certain Ndieze Community Secondary School, Ohagewaka, Izzi LGA, I observed that majority of the women in that location of Ebonyi State are the bread winners of their homes. Every morning you see them working on the largely expansive Rice plantations along the Iboko-Ohage waka road. These women of all ages and colours -mostly dark-skinned; a result of spending countless hours in the intense heat emanating from the Sun.

On Iboko market days, you find that a large number of the traders that display their wares in the dusty, dirty and poorly arranged stores and makeshift kiosks in the market are the female folks. Usually adorning their popular cloth material known as Ankara in yoruba ( I can't seem to remember what it is they call it back then in local Izzi dialect), they display all manner of wares ranging from farm products such as Rice, Yams, Pumpkin leaf (Ugu), Locust beans, Pepper, Tomatoes and of course the popular 'kanda meat' often deliberately misguided as 'Goat meat' by the sellers;eating 'kanda'- donkey meat is partly regarded as a taboo by some quarters particularly non indigenous occupants- I inclusive.

My distaste for 'Kanda' originated from my first night on Iboko soil. Having spent about three hours on a journey that should have lasted for about an hour and a half; no thanks to the pot-hole ridden Afipko- Abakaliki road and the famous Abakaliki-Iboko road, and also the rickety, overloaded junkyard- material bus that looks like a miniature version of an Oshodi molue, I was so much emanated, disgruntled, and more importantly hungry that i needed a quick meal. Our host-the NCCF had requested everyone to remain calm as they are in the process of making arrangements for food; "Process ke"? "That one na longthing joor", i told my mate - Kola whose appearance has really transfigured from the bright, exciting and gleaming personality i have come to admire in the last two weeks at the Orientation camp.

I can't believe i've actually started a story....... Sorry for the digression.
What out for "In the city of warmth"- My NYSC chronicles
......................

Agbaletu:


I don't think the men are lazy, it may be something that has been in existence for long and they see it as their way of life. It is rare to see a lazy Igbo man or woman.

Lol. Of course, it's not laziness, and it's not an igbo thing, but the men should be called to order. I hail o. A spade just became a farming implement.

The culture of lazy men. They drink and merry while their wives provide. I think they're everywhere not only Abakiliki,just that it's too pronunced there. I 've met them in Bayelsa and Imo too. It's very shameful. Like someone said the women can change it,if they raise their sons to be different from their fathers.